INDIANAPOLIS — Riding up an escalator after leaving Saturday's combine workouts inside the RCA Dome, new Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano engaged in a quick, impromptu game of charades.

Sparano, the former Dallas Cowboys assistant breaking in with new general manager Jeff Ireland as Bill Parcells' hand-picked overseers for a rebuilding job underscored by the Dolphins' 1-15 finish in 2007, will start off with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

That's where the mystery of the April 26-27 draft begins. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan? LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey? Arguments can be made for at least five elite players to be considered as the top choice overall, including Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Michigan tackle Jake Long and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. But the Dolphins are dropping no hints.

Sparano pantomimes on the escalator, shaking his head before flashing the universal sign for zipping lips. The closest he came to a clue on Miami's intentions? "We've got a lot of work to do," he said.

Presumably, that includes determining whether John Beck, drafted in the second round by the previous regime last year, is envisioned as a franchise quarterback. The Dolphins can fill many needs.

Ryan is lauded for his poise after passing for 4,507 yards with a 59.3 percent completion rate in 2007. That he's the top-rated prospect at the game's most important position adds value. If he's not the top choice, chances are slim he'd fall past the Atlanta Falcons at No. 3. "It doesn't really matter what number pick ... as long as someone gives me a chance," Ryan says. "(But) it would be fun to play in Miami."

Questions, though, revolve around Ryan's footwork and the 19 interceptions he threw in 2007, which he attributed to Boston College's aggressive approach.

Dorsey, the Outland Trophy winner, is similarly swamped in scrutiny after playing a key role on a national championship team. He's been questioned about his health after playing much of last season with a strained right knee and battling through a stress fracture the year before. "When you're one of the top players, everybody is looking for negatives," said Dorsey, pointing out that he never missed a game in four years at LSU.

He came to the combine expecting to be nitpicked, which included nine hours at the hospital Saturday for a series of X-rays and an MRI exam. "It's to be expected," he said. "They're investing a lot of money."

Dorsey doesn't deny his goal is to be the No. 1 pick. "You want to be that guy," he said. "That's a dream."

Typical for top-of-the-draft prospects, Ryan and Dorsey didn't show much on the field. Ryan (6-4 1/2, 228) was limited to running a 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds Sunday. He'll throw at his pro day workout at Boston College on March 18. Dorsey didn't take part in any of the drills Sunday.

Chris Long, son of Hall of Famer Howie Long who's projected as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or an outside linebacker in a 3-4, is one of 34 players who'll work in defensive end and linebacker drills that begin today. He insists he isn't stressing about his prospects of being No. 1.

"I don't think about that," Long said as he strolled to his next stop in the series of tests and meetings that packed the itineraries of the 333 college prospects who attended the combine. "If, at the end of the process, the accumulation of everything is that I'm the first guy up to the podium, I'll be honored. But it's out of my hands."